Highway pursuit ends with man shooting at Maricopa officers, police say

MARICOPA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Police say a man is in custody after leading officers on a pursuit and shooting at them in Maricopa on Sunday night. Around 6 p.m., officers were called out to a home for an aggravated assault. When they arrived, they found a man who told officers his roommate, 50-year-old Michael Zapata, had attacked him. The man was taken to the hospital with stab and burn injuries, investigators say. Zapata then took off from home.

Investigators say a pursuit began, and officers found Zapata’s car near the Maricopa Casa Grande Highway and Porter Road before he crashed into another car. Zapata then began shooting at Maricopa police, and officers returned fire, detectives said. Police say Zapata was not shot and only had minor injuries. He was taken to the hospital but was later released and booked into jail. No officers were hurt.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Their names have not yet been released. This is the 20th officer-involved shooting outside Maricopa County and the 61st in the state in 2022.